In modern life we can easily be conditioned to believe that money and accumulation are the keys to happiness. In recent years many writers have been referring to an idea called ‘the imperious autonomous self’. It’s an idea that as our cultures have advanced we have lost a sense of community and the needs of others in a rush of self-absorption and narcism. No one likes to hear those words but what if it is true. Find Deeper Happiness At the end of our lives we won’t regret not working longer hours but we may well regret time lost with those closest to us and also the ways in which we closed ourselves off to the needs of others. In this podcast I juxtapose the autonomous self with the sacrifice and heroism of people such as Weary Dunlop, Mother Teresa and Albert Schweitzer. These are people who moved out from the autonomous self into an awareness of how self-transcendence is the path to deep joy and happiness regardless of the circumstances of our lives. The message of this podcast is that something might be wrong with the entire way we have been shaping what it means to be happy. What […]
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